Perspective in Life

Having recently read the story of the servant whose huge debt was forgiven by the king, I was taken more deeply into the story on the topic of “Perspective”. In Matthew 18:21-35, the topic is forgiveness, which we all need to learn and relearn as we traverse our day-to-day lives. But, the topic of forgiveness is quite obvious.

In the Message version of the Bible, the servant is said to owe $100,000 in debts. The king ordered the man and his family to be sold into slavery, but he begged for forgiveness. The king, as a symbol of God, took mercy and forgave the man.

Later, the servant found a man who owed him ten dollars. When the man could pay, the foolish servant had him arrested and thrown into jail. When the king heard this report, he put the servant in chains.

That’s the story, but I took this in a fresh way. The disparity of the amounts is worth noting. God has forgiven us for a multitude of transgressions, but we find it hard to forgive others of lesser offenses.

Now, step further back to see small things and greater things in life. Does everything seem so dramatic and difficult in perspective?

We who live in the present hour are narrowly focused on the immediate impact of a thousand problems or issues. It is and can be overwhelming. The servant quickly forgot the $100,000 debt forgiven by the king, to focus all his emotional baggage on the $10 debt of another. How incredibly stupid.

Sheer logic and a little appreciation should have allowed the servant to happily forgive his friend of the $10, but his appreciation of all he had been forgiven should have overflowed into a small gesture of forgiveness to his friend.

The ability to step back and gain perspective on your blessings and your forgiven transgressions is a universal habit. Why should small things throw us off track so easily? Why is a flat tire a reason to flare up in anger? Why do inflated prices at the store cause us to worry so?

Worry, trouble, and anger push us to focus on the moment and small issues. God wants us to focus on the big issues that are not just the issues of the moment or week.

As seen in the “The Vine and the Branches” which is part of our level one teaching series, God has bigger plans for you that transcend all the little stuff that is begging for your attention.